SUMMARYThis study was initiated in response to the availability of unlimited access tomedlinevia the PaperChase interface at the host institution. The goal of the study was to analyse the usage ofmedlineby medical students during their third‐year clinical clerkship in paediatrics. This was achieved by first giving them a formal demonstration ofmedlineand then longitudinally administering a structured questionnaire at several points during their paediatric clerkship. Since medical students were required to write a thesis for this clerkship, which included an analysis of the primary literature, there was an identified need for using the system. This study analyses the students' perceptions and searching activities after formal training and upon having unlimited access tomedlin